The Best of British Bridal Couture

British bridal designers were a great inspiration for me when I was coming up in the wedding industry in the 1980's. Starting out as a bridal fabrics buyer, I religiously read both the domestic as well as international wedding magazines. This is all before the Internet so we waited like eager children for each issue to come out.

British mags were pretty much like American, French and Italian bridal publications except they had a whole section in the back of each issue featuring those smaller studio designers and dressmakers working away in private ateliers. Listed by region, these ads were business card size and had one great photo showcasing each designer's work. I had one wish back then: To become a designer of one of a kind pieces able to freely experiment and innovate.

The greatest innovators during this time were of course the Emanuels--the British husband and wife duo who designed Princess Diana's wedding dress. They were high profiled for their costume-inspired designs for celebs and actresses donning tons of gems, glitter and layers of skirt. What they did ultimately was bring a certain vision to bridal that changed it ever after.

Fast forward thirty some years and the British are still my biggest inspiration point. Overall they seem to be able to mix that vintage/goth/fairytale/ into a signature fashion look that we all know and love.

Of all the designers who hail from the British Isles--and believe me there are many-- here's a handful of my own personal faves...